The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, is set to call time on his illustrious career after the 2026-27 season. The Washington Capitals icon is currently in his 22nd NHL season and will bring his remarkable two-decade run with the franchise to an end at age 41.
Ovechkin’s income has also extended beyond his NHL salary. The Russian forward made an immediate impact, capturing the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. Alex Ovechkin has accumulated significant wealth throughout his NHL career, with Celebrity Net Worth estimating his fortune at around $80 million. His earnings from playing alone are believed to be close to $160 million, generated through three contracts with the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin began his NHL career with a three-year, $11.5 million entry-level deal after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2004. In 2008, he signed a then-record 13-year, $124 million Capitals extension, which he negotiated without an agent. He later agreed to a five-year, $47.5 million extension in 2021, keeping him in Washington through 2025-26. His endorsement portfolio has included major brands such as Nike, CCM and PepsiCo, with those partnerships estimated to provide roughly $1.5 million per year in additional income. The Washington Capitals selected Ovechkin first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, and he made his debut in the 2005-06 campaign.
Over the course of his career, he has broken numerous records and built an extraordinary statistical résumé. His scoring consistency has remained remarkable throughout his lengthy career. So far this season, Ovechkin has appeared in two games and has one point, which came on an assist.
Through the end of the 2025-26 regular season, he had played 1,573 games and amassed 929 goals, 758 assists and 1,687 points. He has reached at least 30 goals in 20 different NHL seasons, an all-time record, while recording nine campaigns with 50 or more goals.
Ovechkin, famously known as “The Great 8,” quickly developed into one of the most dominant goal scorers the NHL has ever seen.
